Happy Thought for 19 September 2025

Have a Happy Thought: 

Two of the most important fun voting opportunities are taking place, at the same time this year!

No, I don’t mean local elections in New Zealand – while very important, they are less fun. (despite some of the ads being very funny).

I do mean:

1. Fat Bear Week! Yes, it’s that time to look at pictures of adorably pudgy bears living in Katmai National Park in Alaska, and decide which one gets your vote. You can choose the reason for yourself.

Are you more interested in who has put on the most weight this summer? Or maybe it’s a good coat colour change you’re after. Or maybe its a bear you’ve voted for in previous years. In any case, the bears will be announced this coming Monday (Alaska time).

In the meantime, you can check out – and vote for – fat bear junior, a compendium of adorable bear cubs, making their way through their first year of life.

Here’s a couple of examples:​​

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2. Bird of the Year. Voting closes next weekend, so you still have about 9 days to make your choice.

The best part of this vote is that you are almost guaranteed a very low-stakes controversy – like past years where a bat was named bird of the year... or when bots nearly crashed the voting website, or fraudulent votes tried to push the little spotted kiwi into first place. Of course, who can forget John Oliver’s campaign to help the pūteketeke (crested grebe) win the Bird of the Century.

3. And yeah, if you’re in New Zealand, don’t forget to cast your vote for local government. If you don’t care, then think about your local roads, public carparks, cycle lanes, rubbish and recycling, parks, sportsfields, libraries, museums, art galleries, beaches, breathable air, swimmable and drinkable water.... the list goes on.

Need some help matching your values to the candidates on offer? Here’s a tool.​​

 

Image: New Plymouth District Council leaning into spooktober just a bit early, for this year's elections.